In years past, A's management reduced the size of the coliseum by placing tarps over the seats in the third level except for a small section behind home plate. The A's attendance is abysmal as illustrated by the lack of fans at the game against the Texas Rangers. The Oakland Athletics played the Texas Rangers at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, May 3, 2010. The Rangers won 4-2.
Ran on: 05-30-2010
The A's struggle for attendance, and there will be no Bay Area games on Father's Day or July 4 weekends.
Ran on: 05-30-2010
The A's struggle for attendance, and yet there will be no Bay Area games on the Father's Day or Fourth of July weekends.
Ran on: 05-30-2010
The A's struggle for attendance, and yet there will be no Bay Area games on the Father's Day or Fourth of July weekends.
Ran on: 12-09-2010
The A's have tarped off the top portion of the stadium, but can't hide the fact no one comes to the games.
Ran on: 12-09-2010
The A's have tarped off the top portion of the stadium, but can't hide the fact no one comes to the games.
Ran on: 07-20-2011
Sharing a stadium with the Oakland A's has not worked well in recent years for the Raiders -- or, for that matter, for the A's.
Ran on: 07-20-2011
Sharing a stadium with the Oakland A's has not worked well in recent years for the Raiders -- or, for that matter, for the A's.

Talk has escalated of the Raiders and 49ers sharing the proposed Santa Clara stadium, which wouldn't have happened on Al Davis' watch for obvious reasons. Because California residents are too wise (or too broke) to approve public funding for filthy-rich owners of pro sports teams - it's no surprise the NFL's three worst stadiums are in California - the Raiders' only hope for a new Bay Area facility is cuddling up to the 49ers.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodellis open to that. So is Raiders CEO Amy Trask, though the Raiders aren't necessarily sold on Santa Clara.

Regardless, if and when the Raiders find new digs, the A's again would be sole tenants of the Coliseum, which would be every bit as stinky without the Raiders, with Mount Davis still clouding the picture and fans and players still subject to antiquated facilities.

The A's no longer would have to kowtow to the Raiders and might actually have some say on what transpires on the property - such as a renovation (see what the Angels did in Anaheim) or a complete leveling and starting anew. The latter being the preference.

The infrastructure is in place, and BART trains are running. It's not downtown or bayside, but it's easier to enter and exit than other proposed Oakland sites. Tearing down and rebuilding a baseball park in the same location is nothing new. It was done by the Cardinals, Phillies, Reds, Braves, White Sox, Yankees and Mets.

Commissioner Bud Selig's three-man committee examining the A's stadium situation, in its 31st month of dithering, could wait out the Raiders thing. These guys are good at waiting and apparently can't find anything worth a darn to report anyway. Why not step back further and wait for a Raiders-49ers joint production to play out?

The minute the football teams put their signatures to a stadium kumbaya, the Selig committee could recommend the Coliseum site for the A's. A cozy baseball-only park on the premises would re-energize the franchise, boost attendance and help make the A's more competitive.

I passed this by Lew Wolff, the A's managing general partner. Not surprisingly, he wasn't keen on the idea, saying he has looked into Oakland sites and wouldn't be able to privately finance a park as he could in San Jose. His focus remains San Jose or bust, even if Selig hasn't budged on dismissing the Giants' territorial rights to the area.

"It's not relative to our situation," Wolff said of a new Coliseum home, adding that Selig's committee hasn't suggested such an idea. "I can understand two football teams getting together in the same area. For us, there's nothing new, and no one has presented another plan other than what we have in place."

Wolff, predecessor Steve Schottand Selig all have said the A's can't survive at the Coliseum, but it would be easier to survive at a new Coliseum. If a rebuild becomes an option, majority owner John Fishercould either play along - as a perk, he could be allotted parking-lot space for business use (hotel, anyone?) - or sell the team to an outfit willing to give Oakland another try, starting with corporate sponsorships and personal seat licenses.

Another resource could be MLB, which certainly owes the A's for keeping the organization in limbo so long and should provide compensation. MLB did provide certain guarantees to the Marlins for building their new ballpark, which opens next season, and it would behoove Selig and Co. to help the A's make it work.

Seventh heaven: If you're only as good as your No. 7 hitter, the Rangers are awfully good, considering Nelson Cruzhits seventh. The former A's prospect collected 29 homers and 87 RBIs during the regular season and emerged as a key to the ALCS with six homers and 13 RBIs, including a grand slam to end Game 2 and an 11th-inning, three-run homer in Game 4.

The seven hitter on the '27 Yankees, a team by which others are judged, was Joe Dugan, who hit two homers and had 43 RBIs that season. The '76 Reds, another powerhouse, were exceptionally deep, with Johnny Bench, whose numbers dipped that season, dropping to seventh for the World Series.

Around the majors:Lance Berkmanwas named MLB's NL Comeback Player of the Year. Should have gone to Ryan Vogelsong, whose comeback story is far more appealing. This is not about returning to All-Star form. This is about coming back, period. With an $8 million salary, Berkman was supposed to be good. Vogelsong, making relatively nothing, wasn't. MLB's award, voted on by MLB.com's 30 beat writers, is fairly new, since 2005. A more established comeback award, presented by the Sporting News and voted on by players, has been around since 1965 and will be announced on Oct. 25. There's also the Players Choice comeback award, sponsored by the players' union and presented annually since 1997. Don't be surprised if Berkman wins those, too. ... Jeff Suppan, released by the Giants in spring training, showed up in St. Louis to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before Game 3. He pitched for both NLCS teams and spent this year in the Royals' farm system. He plans to make another run at the majors next year. ... In the Giants' worst season - 100 losses in 1985 - who had the highest on-base percentage (among those who spent most of the season on the roster)? Hint: He's in uniform in the postseason. Answer: Brewers manager Ron Roenicke, at .408. The former outfielder hit just .256 but walked 35 times in 170 plate appearances.